


House of Cards

by alcloe



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Cardverse, Characters update as more come in, Clubs (Clovers), Diamonds, First four pairings are the four most important, Hearts, Inspired by the Hetalia AU, Jacks, Jokers are mythical, M/M, Queens, There are definitely more than just 2 Jokers, Though this'll mostly be OiKage, We're talking the deck of cards here, chessverse, kings - Freeform, spades
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-01
Updated: 2015-11-08
Packaged: 2018-04-29 07:07:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5119541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alcloe/pseuds/alcloe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cardverse/Chessverse AU. The kingdom of Aobajousai, known in the olden days as Clubs, have their three leaders chosen by the magic of the land instead of by the people. When tragedy strikes and leaders have fallen, Oikawa Tooru is chosen to pick the kingdom up. But with a war on the horizon and some not so friendly neighbors, what can a nineteen year old like him do to help his home?</p>
<p>"The reign of the Grand King is upon us."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Aobajousai, Land of the Clubs

_In time long ago, the world was nothing but ash and soot. The world had burned and had been burning since time immemorial. Back then, demons and monsters filled the lands with their dark riches, destroying it until there was nothing left. Any sort of goodness then would have died, erased by flames and sulfur with violence. The human life that managed to live would become only servants to the demons of the old and eventually lose their humanity altogether. That is, until a small speck of hope gleamed in the midst of despair._

_A human girl, who still lived despite the hell surrounding her. She was no ordinary girl, for a pointed tail like the demons around her, grow out behind her. She wasn’t a demon either despite her tail and she grew amongst the enslaved human populace. Legends say that the girl with the forked tail wasn’t evil like the rest of the world. She held morals with high importance and shunned the likeness of any evil. She was the exact opposite of the demons that lived: kind, compassionate, and most of all, one of good heart. As one of good heart, she was the first in over many years to hold magic._

_Magic flourished under those with good intentions. Stomped out by the wicked of the world, the girl with the forked tail drew the retrained magic from underneath the dying land’s confines and held it as her own._

_“I will fight for our right to live!” she roared at the king of demons, who had come to wipe her away. “We humans will not be contained by the likes of you! This is our home and you don’t have the right to steal it from us!”_

_Overwhelmed by the strength of the magic in her, the girl released it all in one blow. The magic burst out, attacking the demons with their light so viciously that the demons were reduced to nothing but the ash they created. The demonic flames roared out of existence. The lands cleared, leaving the girl and the few hundred humans that remained. Determined, the girl gathered some of her power and pushed it under the earth’s crust, making plants. Along the basins of the lands, she made her magic liquid, making the first oceans. From the two, magic curled upwards and outwards into large fluffy looking substances, making clouds. She looked down at the populace of humans under her and smiled._

_“I will entrust this land to you,” she told them. Magic ebbed at her form, washing her away. “Although I cannot exist as a person anymore, I will always be here, as a spirit.” The girl’s face grew determined. “As a Joker.”_

“She came to be known as the first Joker, a guardian spirit amongst the lands, worshipped for her willpower and perseverance. She created the world we know today, including the four kingdoms of our land: Hearts, Spades, Clubs, and Diamonds, or as we know them today: Nekoma, Shiratorizawa, Aobajousai, and Fukurodani.”

In a small wood cabin, strewn with vines and plants as well as green flags, sat a group of small children. They all sat on the mint green carpet of the two room abode, beaming at their young teacher. One girl bounced in her seat with glowing eyes.

“That’s so cool!” she gushed. The other kids around her nodded quickly in awe of their teacher’s knowledge. The teacher himself, a teenager with bouncy brown hair and wide chocolate eyes, chuckled at his student’s enthusiasm.

“It really is, isn’t it?” he replied. His smile brightened. “I’m not yet done though. There’s one more part of the story before I leave today.” He winked and the children immediately brightened, restless in their seats.

“Which one? Which one?” a small blonde boy next to the bouncing girl asked, fingers wrung together with excitement. The teacher grinned from ear to ear.

“The one about the Kings, Queens, and Jacks,” he replied. Many of the children whooped and laughed, chattering to each other excitedly. One tiny boy looked up at his teacher in wonder.

“Isn’t Jack Iwaizumi one of your friends, Tooru-sensei?” he questioned. Oikawa Tooru, a young nineteen year old citizen of Aobajousai, nodded at the child’s question.

“Yes he is,” he answered. “The Jack and I go way back, but that’s another story to tell. Now,” he turned to the waiting and quivering pile of children in front of him. “Shall I begin?”

“Yes!”

* * *

 

Oikawa walked along the neat paths of Aobajousai’s capital with a bounce in his step. With his job as an assistant teacher done for the day, he wandered into the main street with no worries of missing work. After all, being an assistant teacher was only for that day and the day before. The next day, he was a library assistant and the day after that he was helping his mother in the bakery she ran. After working for his mother, he only had one free day before he was bustling around Aobajousai’s capital, being the mail boy and delivering mail to every house in the city.

Oikawa idly hummed a tune as he turned to walk into the grand city’s marketplace. All around him, foliage curled around the streets and buildings like a second skin. Dandelions graced cobblestone streets and fields of clovers lined every nook and cranny of the capital. Rose bushes sat in front of every wooden doorstep Oikawa walked by. Multiple kinds of flowers were spotted every which way: on doorknobs, lining carts, and in the hands of every person in the capital. Oikawa himself had a clutter on bluebells twirled around his arm, sitting there nonchalantly with no care.

Oikawa inhaled the sweet air of the flowers. He bounced into the marketplace and immediately, all the people selling goods noticed his bubbly presence.

“Good afternoon Tooru!” shouted a man with glasses, books precariously piled around him, vines roped over them. “Going on a daily run?”

“Not this time, Librarian-san!” Oikawa chirped. “I’m meeting up with Iwa-chan!”

“Tooru!” a woman selling apples greeted him. “You’re looking quite lively today!”

“Of course!” Oikawa turned to reply to her. “It’s the first time Iwa-chan’s had a day off since forever, Apple-san!” “Apple-san” nodded at the teenager with a smile. She picked out two apples from her pile and chucked them at Oikawa without warning. Oikawa, used to her generosity, caught both of the apples with ease.

“That’s a gift from me to you and Jack Hajime,” the woman called. “You’re going to pay back for that when you come back!”

“When have I not paid you back?” Oikawa called back. He twirled on his foot to turn back to his original direction, the apple woman’s reply drowned out by the chatter in the market. Oikawa giggled under his breath. He loved the marketplace. It was so lively here, filled with the common people, as well as old faces that he had grown accustomed to during his childhood. The man with the books and the woman with the apples weren’t the only ones who knew him. All around him, voices, both young and old, called out to flamboyant teenager they’ve known for years.

“Good afternoon Oikawa-san!”

“Hey Tooru, say hi to your mother and sister for me, will ya?”

“Oikawa’s looking happy today! What, did your mom make milk bread?”

“Hi Tooru-san!”

Oikawa laughed, smiling at all the faces that surrounded him with such familiarity. He greeted them one by one before skipping out of the marketplace with a bag of two apples, five loaves of bread, and a four leaf clover sealed in a box, grinning all the while.

* * *

 

_On one continent of the flourishing world, those who lived there split the land into four parts. Different kinds of people lived in the new countries with control over different parts of the land, a trait given by the Joker herself. The people who dwelled in places with a hot climate and well as volcanic areas were the Hearts, who were able to control and manipulate flames to their will. The Spades resided along areas with more water and thus were able to control the seas and anything that was remotely water, be it steam or ice. The settlers of the Clubs resided in thick forests and great plains, symbolizing their dominion over nature. Those of the Diamonds settled along mountainous regions and on top of canyons, their close proximity to the sky giving them the means of manipulating air currents, in turn giving them the ability to fly._

_These four kingdoms thrived amongst themselves, communicating and growing stronger as time passed. Eventually, each kingdom became too large and powerful for the common people that the Joker intervened._

_“I will grant unto three the power to move mountains, conjure hurricanes, summon tsunamis, or detonate volcanoes,” she boomed to the masses. “These three will use their powers to lead their kingdoms to prosperity.”_

_The Hearts, Spades, and Diamonds chose the three most honored people of their kingdoms with gusto. The people of Clubs however, refused to._

_“We will trust in the choice of magic,” a representative explained. “We do not trust in our own decisions, only the magic of the land will chose for us.”_

_The Joker accepted the terms of the Clubs. Around the green kingdom, nature’s magic swirled around each individual person as if choosing if they were worthy for the power. The magic coalesced into three people, marking them with vivid black marks glowing a faint green. The three with the marks faced the Joker and the twelve people chosen were given powers beyond imagining._

_Footnote: The three from each kingdom became the King, Queen, or Jack of their lands, all with varying types of importance. The Jack was the lowest of the three, with the Queen next, and the King holding the utmost importance. However, it is important to note that Clubs specifically cannot run without all three of their royals, or else the kingdom will be ground into ruin._

A hand slammed the book the passage came from closed, the sound echoing off the walls of a library. The teenager looming over the book glared at it with disgusted cobalt eyes. Next to him, his companion looked at him with curious brown eyes.

“What did the book do to you?” he asked. The companion jumped off of the chair he was sitting on and stretched his arms over his head. “So! Did you find what you were looking for?”

“I found it all right,” the cobalt eyed teenager growled. He turned on his heel and stalked towards the library’s exit, hands curled into fists and a scowl firmly planted on his face. His companion let out an indignant squawk and raced to meet up with him, nearly getting hit in the face by the door in the process.

“Found what? Tell me!” he exclaimed. He flitted around his taller friend like an agitated crow. ”You’ve been acting weird since this morning! You nearly told off one of the senpais and now you actually went to the library willingly! There’s something wrong with you!”

“I’m fine!” the other snapped. The brown eyed teenager shook his head vehemently.

“Nuh-uh!” he glared up at his friend's blue eyes. “Tell me! I deserve to know! I’m your partner! Come on, tel-”

“I had a vision this morning, okay?!” the taller of the two spat, the word venom to his mouth. His smaller friend stopped bouncing and looked at him with worried eyes. The two walked together and a brisk pace, the smaller following the taller. “Something’s going to happen in Clubs and it won’t be good.”

“What’s going to happen?” The taller teenager grimaced and behind him, a forked tail flicked around with agitation, nearly touching the other’s tail.

“Someone’s going to die.”

* * *

 

Standing in front of a tree littered with leaves in the shape of clovers, Iwaizumi Hajime looked around the large field with mild interest. The field was something he was familiar with, for it was this very same field that he and Oikawa would spend the day as kids. They used to roll around in the grass here, shout at each other, and play a game of Demons vs. Jokers (Iwaizumi always ended up being the demon, no thanks to Oikawa’s puppy face). That was before the days of his crowning, before people had come into his house when he was thirteen, the Jack of Clubs symbol emblazoned on his bicep…

“Iwa-chan!” The familiar nickname hit his ears and the Jack of Clubs turned. He saw Oikawa skipping into the field, closing the white picket door of the entrance, a skip to his step and a bag of what he presumed to be goods from the people of the marketplace hanging from his arm. Iwaizumi crossed his arms as his childhood friend walked up to him. Oikawa stuffed a hand into his bag and brought out an apple.

“Apple-san gave it to me today,” he grinned. “You know you can’t refuse something she gives!”

“I know,” Iwaizumi sighed, taking the apple from Oikawa’s palm into his own. “It’s nice to see you too, Oikawa.” Oikawa smiled and brought out his own apple. They both bit down on the fruit, humming in approval at the familiar taste.

“She still has a knack for growing apples,” Iwaizumi commented. “Is she still only selling apples, though?”

“Only apples, now and forever,” Oikawa replied. “You know how stubborn Apple-san is.” He gulped down his nibble and beamed at his friend. “But we’re not here to talk about Apple-san, Iwa-chan! We’re here to talk about you!” Iwaizumi frowned.

“Me? You already know how busy I am,” he answered. He bit into his apple again. “The King and Queen’s tenth anniversary for their rule is coming up, I believe. Because of that, I’m bone deep in paperwork to send invites to the other royals in the other kingdoms.” Oikawa placed a hand on his hip.

“But that doesn’t mean you can’t come outside,” he said. “It won’t do to have the Jack not looking as fit as a fiddle!” Iwaizumi ran a hand down his face in aggravation.

“You’re lucky I’m even talking to you now, Oikawa,” he hissed. “The Chessmen from overseas are scaring the merchants that come here from Shiratorizawa, threatening the seas with pirates. There’s been a decrease of goods coming from there because of that and since Shiratorizawa’s the closest kingdom to us, that’s really bad. Not to mention that we’ve been on pins and needles with Nekoma since villagers along our borders are scuffling with each other. Not only that, but Fukurodani’s Queen is turning 25 and he’s inviting the three of us there. Problem is, since Fukurodani kind of high up, there needs to be paperwork to get the proper transportation that is a) approved by Fukurodani’s Court of Numbers, b) approved by our Court of Numbers and c) is actually safe for us and admittedly, Fukurodani isn’t all that aware that the people of Aobajousai are not fliers. And holy shit, don’t even get me started on the King of Spades’ insistence on getting us technology because _goddamn_ -”

Oikawa listened to Iwaizumi rant about his duties, nibbling on his apple between his answers and making random hand gestures in response to Iwaizumi’s wildly asked questions. Although he listened with fervor, the brunette couldn’t help but smile sadly.

_‘I wanted to know how you were doing, not how the kingdom was doing, Iwa-chan.'_

* * *

Oikawa laid in his bed, staring up at the ceiling with muddled thoughts. His home wasn’t all that fancy since his family wasn’t that rich. The house they lived in was a simple wood cabin that was getting worn with age. Chocolate eyes traced the small cobwebs in the corner of the ceiling with mild boredom.

‘ _Iwa-chan was talking about the kingdom again.'_ Every time Oikawa called Iwaizumi out of the castle, the latter was always pent up with frustration about Aobajousai’s issues. Oikawa was always willing to listen to his best friend talk. It wasn’t like he didn’t like it when Iwaizumi spoke about the kingdom, far from it. He was aware that talking about Aobajousai relieved Iwaizumi from stress. He just wished his best friend would actually talk about himself.

_‘Like he used to.’_ Oikawa blinked and shifted in his bed. The springs of the bed creaked loudly and would have awoken anyone that was in the room. Dust kicked up from the floor as he flung his blanket over his head. There was no point in dwelling on it now. Iwaizumi was the Jack of Clubs, the Jack of Aobajousai and was far more important than Oikawa would ever be. He had his own problems, like helping his mother support their family.

_‘Iwa-chan has enough to deal with. I just hope he can actually do it.’_

* * *

 

Night fell on the green kingdom of Aobajousai. The people slept soundly in their homes, unaware of what was happening in the castle of its capital.

A group of people stood around a large bed. They loomed over the figures in the bed like shadows, dressed in all black with a peculiar emblem on their obsidian clothes. The emblem was also streaked with red. The red of blood.

Knives raised and plunged. Screams. Cries. Blood spilled everywhere.

Two bodies tucked into their beds, blood oozing out of their wounds as they bleed to their deaths.

One body slowly bleeding out, feebly trying to heal himself as well as calling for help.

And in two separate locations, the symbols of the King of Clubs and Queen of Clubs burned into two people’s skin, sealing their fates for good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Terms to Know/Things to Remember
> 
> Current Royalty  
> Nekoma (Hearts)  
> King: Kuroo Tetsurou  
> Queen: Kozume Kenma  
> Jack: Yaku Morisuke
> 
> Shiratorizawa (Spades)  
> King: Ushijima Wakatoshi  
> Queen: N/A  
> Jack: Tendou Satori
> 
> Aobajousai (Clubs)  
> King: (Name not disclosed)  
> Queen: (Name not disclosed)  
> Jack: Iwaizumi Hajime
> 
> Fukurodani (Diamonds)  
> King: N/A  
> Queen: Akaashi Keiji  
> Jack: Konoha Akinori
> 
> -Court of Numbers: The advisors of the Kings, Queen, and Jack. They are numbered from 2 to 10 and are referred to as Number 2, Number 3, etc. 
> 
> Stay informed!


	2. Etched Fate

Oikawa woke up the next day with his chest burning.

Letting out a guttural shout, he flailed in his bed, throwing his blanket clean off him and onto the dusty floor. He screeched into his pillow and clawed at his shirt. It felt like his chest was on fire. White hot pain pierced his skin like a thousand needles and every time his shirt even caressed his chest, that pain increased tenfold. Oikawa struggled to get his shirt off him, groaning every few times in pain. After minutes of struggle, he flung his shirt off him with gusto, sighing in relief as air hit his chest like a soothing balm. He laid in his bed on his back and lifted an arm to cover his eyes.

What was that? Waking up with a burning sensation wasn't normal. Was it magic? The magic in Clubs was pretty tame compared to that of the other kingdoms. Not to mention, any sort of Clubs magic did not entail burning sensations on the chest at the break of dawn. Well, except poison. But who had the energy to poison someone this early in the morning?

Oikawa panted heavily in exhaustion. So much for a nice morning. At least his job as a librarian assistant wasn't until the afternoon. He shifted in his bed slightly, letting the cool wind come in through his window. He sighed through his nose and moved his arms away from his face. He stared up at the ceiling, his chest finally cooling down and sleep slowly descending on him once more.

"Oikawa!" Two very familiar voices suddenly shouted from the other side of the teen's door. Without warning, two figures burst into the room, nearly throwing the door off its hinges. Oikawa wasn't fazed though. These two were resident infiltrators of his house. At least they had the decency to go through the front door, unlike a certain Jack when they were little.

"Mattsun, Makki," he trilled tiredly with a wave of his hand. "Nice of you to join me on this terrible morning." Matsukawa Issei and Hanamaki Takahiro leaned out of Oikawa's door panting in exhaustion. Being of a higher status than Oikawa, they wore well ironed white polos and green vests, armbands on their arms with the numbers 2 and 3 respectively. Oikawa glanced at them from his position and smiled slightly. "What does Number 2 and Number 3 from the Court of Numbers need from me?"

"Oikawa," Matsukawa started, both men striding into the room. "we need you to go to the castle. It's urgent." Hanamaki riffled through Oikawa's closet to get him a pair of pants and a shirt. Matsukawa approached the sleepy brunette on the bed. He held an aura of seriousness until he caught something in the corner of his eye.

"What for?" Oikawa asked, sitting up and stretching. He yawned lengthy and scratched the back of his neck, unaware of Matsukawa's suddenly wide gaze.

"Hanamaki!" he snapped to the light brunette in the closet. Hanamaki looked at Matsukawa before noticing something on Oikawa's chest. His mouth fell open and he almost dropped the clothes in his hands.

"Holy shit," he muttered. Oikawa stared at them curiously. Before he could ask what was going on, Hanamaki trotted up to him and threw the shirt over Oikawa's head. The latter letting out a cry of surprise, Hanamaki pulled the shirt down over the fluffy brunette's head and grabbed each of his arms through each the sleeves like a mother helping her child change. After the shirt was fully put on, Oikawa rolled away from his friend's holds, face dusted a light pink.

"W-What the hell, Makki!" he sputtered. He adjusted his shirt as Hanamaki threw his pants and a belt to him. Both men turned away from Oikawa to let him change bottoms. "What's wrong? Why do you have to rush so much that you had to force me in a shirt?"

Hanamaki and Matsukawa traded glances, their minds lingering on the peculiar symbol printed on Oikawa's chest. Matsukawa sighed as Hanamaki rubbed his eyes.

"The castle," Hanamaki said. He gulped. "Oikawa, the castle was attacked last night. The King and Queen were murdered and... and Iwaizumi almost didn't make it."

They didn't need to turn to see Oikawa's horrified face. The sound of the belt dropping onto the floor was proof enough.

* * *

 Black curtains on the wall high windows flapped with nonexistent wind. Barren landscape surrounded the building endlessly, no traces of plant life in sight. Nearly everything in the building was carved from obsidian and marble, even the crow statues that sat on top of the building's buttresses were of the same material. The people who lived here were not of the ordinary, instead they were of the mythical and the extraordinary, made known by the intricately carved 'J' with a pointed tail on the building's main hall.

"The King and Queen of Clubs has been killed!" a silver haired teenager cried. His fist were balled on the obsidian table meeting table he sat in front of. Around him, various teenagers nodded grimly. The silver haired teen sighed in defeat and hung his head in his hands. "Clubs is going to be in disarray. What should we do?"

"Peace," the teenager next to him with short cut hair soothed, a hand on the silverette's shoulder. "It wasn't unexpected. One of the younger ones had a vision it would happen yesterday." He scanned the meeting room with sharp eyes. "However, as far as I'm concerned, this has never happened before. Who would have the audacity to assassinate two royals and attempt to kill the third?"

"The Chessmen probably," provided another teenager, his face slightly dusted with freckles. All eyes turned to him. The short orange haired one tensed. "The Black Chessmen, the Noire to be specific.” The ginger sighed in relief and straightened. “They've been at odds with Aobajousai for two decades. Since they're a kingdom built on war, they don't like Aobajousai's pacifistic nature.”

“It’s because Aobajousai doesn’t hold war games like Nekoma and Fukurodani, right?” asked another male, haired spiked up and one tuff in the front blonde.

“They don’t need to,” the silver haired one answered.  He closed his eyes. “Both Nekoma and Shiratorizawa are very advanced in technology and don’t need to depend on magic as much while Fukurodani and Aobajousai are very connected to their environment and thus it magic. For Fukurodani, war games are like a rite of passage for people who want to serve the country. For Nekoma, they do it just for fun and entertainment as well as to cause some destruction here and there. The person who wins the war game for that year becomes the Ace, the royals’ personal guard.” He opened his eyes again. “Aobajousai doesn’t need that type of thing. Everyone there are born warriors, even if they don’t look it.”

“Like you?” The ginger chirped. The silverette smiled warmly at him and nodded silently.

"With the King and Queen of Clubs dead," a teenager with blonde hair and glasses began. "there needs to be someone there to take care of the kingdom. The Jack is in critical condition and a new King and Queen-"

"Have already been chosen." The tall cobalt eyed teenager came striding into the meeting room, face slightly red from a morning's incident. Every face looked surprised to see him, especially that of his orange haired friend.

"Hey! What are you doing here?!" he exclaimed, nearly bouncing off his seat. Were it not for the teenager with the short cut hair's warning glance, he would have met up with his partner.

"I told you to not leave your room," the silver haired one said, voice slightly defeated. The cobalt eyed teen shook his head as he took his seat next to the orange shorty.

"I can't miss a meeting at a time like this," he reasoned. "Aobajousai could be sabotaged at this point. I need to be here for this." He glanced at the different teenagers around him. "So, where were we?"

* * *

 Oikawa sat next to the lush bed of his resting friend, chin poised on intertwined fingers. His gaze didn't wander as young healers from all over Aobajousai came in to heal as many wounds as possible that were on the Jack's body.

Multiple stab wounds to the torso. A bullet wound in both arms. A broken leg, arm, and dislocated jaw. That was only half of the report the nurses have him. He didn't even want to remember the rest. Oikawa's tightened and his jaw clenched.

"What happened?" he asked when the healers shuffled out. He spared glances at the two Numbers standing on either side of him.

"An assassination and assassination attempt," Matsukawa reported and winced when Hanamaki elbowed him in the ribs. "Spies snuck in at approximately one in the morning and attacked the King and Queen in their chambers. They killed all the guards, the King, and Queen and," his expression faltered, "nearly killed the Jack." Oikawa hung his head in his hands, staring at the floor sadly.

"Why would someone do this?" he wondered. "What did we do to deserve this?" Hanamaki's expression hardened significantly.

"It was probably those damn Chessmen," he seethed. Oikawa looked at him from the corner of his eye. "Iwaizumi's been working his ass off to keep foreign relations under wraps, but those Noire Chessmen keep getting on our case. I've seen death threats on Iwaizumi's desk before. They send shit about Iwaizumi being a bad Jack and not letting Aobajousai get action like Fukurodani and Nekoma. It's disgusting."

"Death threats?!" Oikawa screeched in disbelief. "Iwa-chan never told me about those before!"

"He obviously had a reason to," Matsukawa scoffed. "You're normal compared to him, Oikawa. He wants to keep you as well and everyone in the dark about the Chessmen to keep you safe." He frowned deeply then and his arms crossed over his chest. "But now the King and Queen are dead. When he gets better, he'll need to run the country by himself." He and Hanamaki traded glances that got unnoticed by Oikawa. The brunette was busy freaking out, eyes wide and mouth open.

"Iwaizumi can't run Aobajousai by himself!" he exclaimed, panicking slightly. "Him being a Jack is hard enough already. If he has to take over the duties as King and Queen, I don't think he's going to last much longer!" As much as he wanted it to be false, the truth behind it was too much to hide. Iwaizumi was extremely stressed out with duties as a Jack. Adding to the load would make everything worse and strain his already frail disposition.

"They are well aware, Tooru," said a voice from the door. Recognizing the voice, Matsukawa and Hanamaki turned and bowed while Oikawa looked on with surprise.

"Irihata-san," the brunette sputtered. Irihata Nobuteru, the head of Aobajousai's Court of Numbers and Number 10, smiled at Oikawa good naturally. The teenager scrambled off his seat. He nearly fell while trying to bow like his two friends, but Irihata lifted up a hand.

"Calm down, Tooru. There's no need to bow," he said. "Though I am here on important business."

"Are you visiting Iwa-chan?" Oikawa asked, straightening up. "He's not awake yet so..."

"No, no, I'm here for you," Irihata finished. He looked at Numbers 2 and 3, his face serious. "Are you sure in what you two saw?"

"Absolutely," Hanamaki replied. "There was nothing in Clubs like it." The three of them then turned to Oikawa, who was starting to sweat. Irihata gave him a stern look and the fluffy haired teenager gulped. Hanamaki and Matsukawa moved on either side of the chocolate eyed teen, their faces just as grim.

"What are you-" Before Oikawa could react, Matsukawa and Hanamaki reached out quickly and trapped both of his arms in vice locks. Terror settled in his stomach like bees. Oikawa wasn't a stick in terms of stature, but he knew that Matsukawa and Hanamaki together were more than capable of pinning him down. "Guys-" Irihata lifted his hand, which glowed a fluorescent green.

"Calm down," the man spoke. "This will hardly last any time." Unfamiliar words were muttered under his breath and Oikawa's own breath hitched. As someone who used Clubs magic, the spell Irihata was casting was completely foreign to Oikawa, only scaring him even more.

The fluorescent glow of magic exploded into a blinding light, filling the room with its brightness. Oikawa and the other all shut their eyes tightly, but the light was so bright that Oikawa could see the light from behind his eyelids.

"Agh!" he grunted out. The light suddenly flared and receded into blackness.

* * *

 Oikawa's eyes snapped open as if in a dream. He didn't find himself in Iwaizumi's room. Instead he was in a hall with a black and red checkered floor and slate white walls. There was no furniture, save for paintings of various young people on the walls. He couldn't see the edge of the hall, only giving into endless blackness. Oikawa swiveled left and right, hoping to look for someone, anyone.

"Hello?" he called out. "Anyone?!" When no response came, Oikawa started to walk. He kept his ears and eyes open, on guard for any surprises. His eyes traced the faces on the walls. Some of them were pretty young, younger than him. He read each of their names slowly. Yamaguchi… Tsukishima… Hinata… Kage-

"Oikawa Tooru." Surprised and slightly cursing himself for getting caught off guard, the brunette spun around at the voice, his fingers glowing green as thorny vines crawled out from the hall’s shadows. He met the soft blue eyes of a woman. She stood with her weight on her right foot, arms crossed and with what seemed to be glasses balanced on her nose. A black leather jacket hugged her form as well as the form fitting black pants and darker than blood red of her shirt, very different from the long dressed the women of Aobajousai wore. Black leather boots ended right above her ankles, snugly wound with black laces. A forked tail flicked back and forth behind her. Oikawa's eyes widened and the only thing that came in his head was:

"Joker." The Joker smiled at Oikawa and slowly approached him, her steps light. His eyes narrowed and the vines around him curled around his feet like protective snakes.

“I don’t wish to harm you, young Club," she said. "You are boy of humble upbringing, but your parentage says otherwise." Oikawa flinched at the last comment. The Joker stopped several feet away from the teen.

"Do you know why I'm here?" he asked. His tone faltered somewhat. It wasn’t a large slip, but some tones of worriedness slipped into his determined voice. The Joker gave him a pitying glance.

"The recent events have done you harm, I see. Do not fear. You are destined for great things. Your reign will be one of greatness, one of prosperity and peace. However," the woman's expression darkened. "A long and arduous road awaits you. You will face hardships and decisions that will question your loyalty to your country and to your continent." Her face then lit up tad. "But I have faith you will make the right choices."

Oikawa stared at the woman long and hard, absorbing everything she said. "Reign?" he blurted. "What reign? I'm only a citizen of Aobajousai. I'm not one of high regard." The Joker smiled at him and lifted her finger, pointing to Oikawa's chest.

"You are mistaken, young royal," she laughed. Oikawa followed the Joker's finger and looked down at his chest, eyes wide in shock. A green symbol glowed through his shirt, pulsing rhythmically like a heartbeat. It was a glowing green clover, crafted from various intertwining vines. The vines of the tattoo-like symbol were beautifully done with thorns dotting every which way and solid lines that proudly emitted a forest green. Emblazoned in the center of the clover was one elegant 'K'. "Your reign has only just started."

And just like that, the world turned black.

* * *

 "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to go pay the new King a visit."

"Now? It’s too early! Daichi-san said-"

"I know what he said, but I’m going anyway. Don't even try to stop me, Shouyou."

"Argh! You're lucky I'm not going to sic Koushi-san on you, Tobio! I'm following you to make sure you don't get into any unwanted trouble!"

"Have it your way."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things to Know
> 
> The Ace System: A system where the victor of the yearly war games in Fukurodani or Nekoma becomes the Ace or guard of the three (two in Fukurodani's case) royals of their kingdoms. The current Ace of Hearts is Yamamoto Taketora and the current Ace of Diamonds is Bokuto Koutarou.
> 
> See you on Saturday!


	3. Joke's on You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I say Saturday? I meant Sunday.

Oikawa opened his eyes blearily. He groaned and rubbed his face, eyes squinted. Taking in his surroundings, he found that he was laying on two plush velvet chairs pushed together as a makeshift bed. The three Numbers weren't found, probably spooked off after his sudden fainting spell.

He slumped and his eyes darkened. The dream, vision, whatever it was pulled at his thoughts persistently. It was odd. He heard of dreams of the Jokers from the people at the marketplace. It was said that if a Joker appeared in your dreams, then something big was about to happen in your life.

Remembering what the Joker said to him, Oikawa peeked down at his shirt. He pulled it off of himself slowly, as if stalling for what was surely was going to be there. He left his shirt in a heap on the floor to stare at the thing on his chest. Sure enough, printed there over his heart was a thorn-like black clover with the K sitting innocently on the stem. He hesitantly touched it and felt that it was no different from his usual soft skin. It looked like a brand on him though, branding him as the new King that was to rule the land. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

The symbol on his chest was the symbol of the King of Clubs. He'd seen pictures of it from textbooks in school, but he never thought that the very symbol that showed the leader of Clubs would actually sit on his chest. He heard of the great men and women who led Aobajousai as King and of their feats. The King was always someone of high power, whether in age or in family.

But Oikawa? He was just a nineteen years old working four jobs to sustain his family. His mother helped out with the bakery, but the money they made was nothing compared to that of the Kings before their crowning. He was normal, average, and certainly not King material.

But he got the role regardless. Oikawa slipped his eyes closed and breathed out of his nose. What did he do to get something like this? Why did he get it so early in his life? It was nothing compared to Iwaizumi, but a nineteen year old can't be the ruler of an age old kingdom.

He lacked experience. He was barely out of his adolescence and they expected him to be thrown into royalty just like that? Would everyone like him? Would the rulers of the other kingdoms, who were in their mid to late 20s, like a ruler so young? Oikawa mulled over these thoughts repeatedly and missed the shuffle of Iwaizumi's sheets near to him.

"So you finally woke up, huh?" Oikawa jolted and spun around. On the bed, Iwaizumi watched him expectantly, a frown on his face. His face was pale and small bags hung under his eyes, but other than that, he looked completely fine putting it lightly.

"Iwa-chan!" the bouncy haired brunette exclaimed, scrambling towards his friend. He nearly tripped over his discarded shirt and stumbled to pick it off the floor. Iwaizumi watched him with unreadable eyes. "When did you wake up?" Oikawa asked with his shirt in his hands. The brunette was grinning at him, but it didn't reach his eyes. Iwaizumi placed his hands on his lap.

"Half an hour ago," he replied. His gaze turned to the open window next to the bed. "Hanamaki and Matsukawa were here. They left with Irihata-san awhile ago to discuss something." He looked down to Oikawa's chest, which still hasn't been clothed. "Though now I know what they're going to discuss."

Oikawa's hand drew to his chest. The mark burned over his heart like flames. He threw on his shirt again to cover it up silently. Iwaizumi didn't seem at all bothered by the King of Clubs symbol on his chest though.

"You know, you don't have to hide it," the Jack remarked. "I thought you'd be flaunting by now."

"What's there to flaunt?" Oikawa asked bitterly. "I didn't ask for something like this. I'm just a normal person, I'm not worthy for something like this, how can I-" Iwaizumi's hand smacked his head hard and fast. Oikawa wailed. "Ow why?!"

"Idiot," he huffed, his hand returning to his lap. He looked at the window again. "You're telling this to the guy who got picked to be Jack at thirteen." He turned and glared at his friend. "And don't say you're not worthy for something like this. Anyone in the marketplace would slap you senseless for even thinking about that." Iwaizumi smiled at Oikawa then. "You'd make a fine King, Oikawa. Give yourself a little credit."

Oikawa looked surprised at first. When his friend's words dawned on him, he beamed at Iwaizumi, his face lit up like a thousand suns.

"What a nice thing to say!" he laughed. "You should give compliments like that more often, maybe the ladies would like you more like that." Iwaizumi's smile twisted into a frown.

"Don't let it get to your head," he snapped. He resisted the urge to sock his friend in the shoulder and  grumbled under his breath. Oikawa laughed heartily, his expression softening.

"You really think I'll make a great King, Iwa-chan?" he asked, His voice was low and rather unsure, unbecoming of himself. Iwaizumi merely huffed out of his nose and crossed his arms with some difficulty.

"I wouldn't be saying it if I didn't mean it," he replied. Oikawa smiled at Iwaizumi and looked down at his chest. While he couldn't see the symbol through his shirt, he no longer felt the burning. Instead, it felt comforting on his skin. He chuckled under his breath. Of course a talk with Iwaizumi could pull him out of his frustrations, at least for a little while.

* * *

 A small orange haired figure peeked into the room through the window. He watched the King talk to the Jack and saw the King get smacked by his friend. The ginger had to giggle at that a little. At his giggle, the Jack turned back to the window.

Shouyou squeaked and hastily moved out of the way, pleading that the Jack had not seen him. Instead of staying and watching the rest of the interaction, the orange haired male flew up and away, going back to his black haired friend.

* * *

 The kingdom of Aobajousai had two weeks of mourning for the deceased King and Queen. It was after those weeks would Oikawa's status as the newly chosen King be made public. Oikawa only had fourteen days before his life would change for good.

The first thing he did was telling his employers that he had to quit. He spoke to all of them the day after he found out about his status except for Librarian-san, who he would see at the marketplace on his last day. The ones he spoke to all asked why so suddenly, so he simply replied, while laughing sheepishly, "something came up." The kids at the preschool he volunteered at were all visibly disappointed that the fluffy haired nii-chan was quitting.

"Are we going to see you again?" one of the kids sniffed, pulling on Oikawa's pants with his small fists. Oikawa smiled at the child and patted his hair.

"Don't worry, you're definitely going to see me again." he replied.

The days dwindled down after that. Oikawa was told not to tell his family until the announcement was made. He was also told that he would not become King straight away, he would merely be assigned as Prince until he underwent the appropriate training for the role. With only fourteen (now thirteen) days to live his old life, he didn't know what to do.

_My life really wasn't that eventful anyway,_ Oikawa mused as he lounged on his bed absentmindedly. It was well into the afternoon by now. His mother and sister were at the bakery and Takeru was in school. Nothing really went on in his rather normal life. Not that he minded, of course.

_Me as King. I wonder how I'll do._

Any other thoughts that were going to come across his mind were immediately thrown out the window.

On said window, which was a large wood pane where lots of sunlight could filter in, was a teenager. His black hair was cropped against his forehead and his cobalt eyes were narrow, smaller than Oikawa's own. HIs clothes were all black except for his v-neck blood red shirt. His shoes were leather as well as the jacket and messenger bag slung over his shoulder. His hands were planted on either side of the window and his foot was on the sill. His eyes were wide in surprise when cobalt met chocolate. Several awkward moments later, the teen on the window freaked

"Holy fuck!" the black haired guy screamed. The shout was so sudden it made Oikawa flinch. With the brunette temporarily disoriented, the guy on the window took the chance to high-tail out the window. In the process of scrambling off the window, he got his foot caught on the inside of the window and promptly fell backwards onto the street.

"Wait!" Oikawa exclaimed. He scrambled towards the window, nearly tripping on his blanket. "Come back!" Later he would ponder on why he called someone who seemed to be a thief to come back, but right now his mind was occupied. He threw himself towards the window and grabbed both side of it tightly. By the time he got there, the black haired guy was nowhere to be found.

"Where'd he go?!" he shrilled, sticking his head out. "Hello?!" Ignoring the stares he was getting from passers-by, he retreated back into his room with a pout on his face. "Damn..." He backed away from the window and sat back on his bed. He stared at the window with mild curiosity.

"Who was that?"

* * *

 "A stalker?" Iwaizumi groused. Three days have passed since he initially woke up and he looked a lot healthier. His face was no longer as pale and the bags under his eyes were almost nonexistent. He could sit up, but it would take several more days before he was fit enough to stand.

"Yeah, it was this guy!" Oikawa exclaimed, gesticulating randomly. He sat in one of the plush chairs on the room, his legs slung over one of the chair’s arm rests. "He had black hair and blue eyes and was wearing all black! He was climbing into my window!" He huffed and crossed his arms. "Who would be so low to climb through my window? You're the only one who does it, Iwa-chan!" The brunette swiftly dodged the fist coming to his shoulder. Iwaizumi growled lowly, cracking his knuckles out of habit.

"You didn't recognize who he was?" he asked. "I'm pretty sure you know every single face in the capital." Oikawa flopped onto the bed, arms outstretched as he whined.

"I know! That's why I want to know who he is!" Oikawa exclaimed. "I even called out to him. You know, after he stopped climbing in." He immediately put his arms in front of him for protection. Iwaizumi instantly scowled.

"Are you stupid?! The kid might have been a thief for all that you know!"

"He wasn't, I swear! I could tell!" Iwaizumi stopped his hand in mid air from hitting the brunette King-to-be.

"You could tell? How?" Oikawa smiled, but it was one of other calculating ones when he knew the answer to a question no one else knew.

"Remember the vision of the Joker I told you about after Irihata-san casted that spell on me?" Iwaizumi nodded. "The guy had almost the same exact clothes as the woman.” The Jack looked at Oikawa with a notched eyebrow.

“So you think he’s a Joker?” he inquired. Oikawa nodded vigorously. Iwaizumi crossed his arms. “It’s not that I doubt you since you’re so sensitive to magic, but are you absolutely sure? You could be accusing some random kid who climbed into the wrong window.” Oikawa shrugged.

“Or he could be a Joker who was looking for the potential King,” he replied. He placed a finger against his chin. “Thing is, he was also wearing black. That’s never wore unless you were from…” His voice trailed off. He shook his head. “Anyway, no one in Cards has black as their national color. He also had a dark red shirt, a darker red than what’s usually worn in Hearts because it’s too much like blood. Also-”

“Did you see the tail?” Iwaizumi cut off. Oikawa blinked owlishly. The Jack bore holes into Oikawa’s eyes with his own. “ _Did you see the tail, Oikawa?_ ” The King coughed into his fist and turned away from Iwaizumi’s eyes.

“Um, no?” Iwaizumi felt his head begin to hurt. His hands curled into fists, trapping his blankets in them. He took a deep breath and lifted a hand to rub at his temples.

“So you're telling me that you think this kid is a Joker because he had the same clothes as the Joker in the vision, but you didn't see the tail, the tell tale thing that Jokers usually have?” Flames practically licked off his figure as Oikawa scrambled off his chair into the one behind him.

“I-It’s just a detail I overlooked, Iwa-chan!” Oikawa exclaimed. “Let me just explain-”

_“Explain what Shittykawa you’re suspecting that one of my own citizens is a mythical creature do you know how fucking-”_

“Before you go and kill our King,” Matsukawa interrupted from the door he opened. His hand was on his hip and he watched amused at Iwaizumi’s steadily darkening eyes and twitching hands. “I’ll need to steal him for a bit. Say, for the rest of the day.” Oikawa nearly cried in relief and stumbled towards Number 2 while Iwaizumi blew air out of his nose.

“What do you need him for?” Matsukawa flapped around a stack of papers in his hands. He slapped them into Oikawa’s chest hard, making the latter heave and whine, “Mattsun!”

“We can’t have a good King if he doesn’t know the basics of acting like royalty,” the Court member answered, looking at Oikawa. “We’re not like the other kingdoms who have the royals pick out their King, Queen, or Jack from noble families who already know how to act fancy. Irihata-san and the rest of the Court said to squeeze as many lessons in as possible before you’re crowned Prince. At least you’ll know the basics by then.” Matsukawa looked at Iwaizumi as Oikawa sifted through the papers in his hands. “You’ve been through the same thing before Iwaizumi, so you know what kind of lessons I’m talking about.” Matsukawa smiled deviously. “Oikawa here’s not getting the simplified version like you did. You only got simplified because you were thirteen.”

“So Oikawa’s going to be going to hell and back?” Iwaizumi inquired, tone calm. Oikawa gaped at his best friend and Matsukawa just grinned.

“Hell and back?! Iwa-chan, is it really that-” Oikawa could only blanch as the Jack grinned wickedly.

“Don’t die before you finish the lessons, Oikawa. If you do, we’ll give you a great funeral,” Iwaizumi laughed. He waved a hand away. “Go ahead and take him, 2. At least I could finally get some well earned rest.” Matsukawa saluted and grabbed Oikawa by the collar. He dragged him out, ignoring the King-to-be's useless flailing.

“Iwa-chan, so mea-” The door cut off Oikawa’s word with a thud. Iwaizumi sighed again through his nose and slumped into his blankets.

_‘I swear, he’s going to be the death of me.’_ Iwaizumi mumbled under his breath. With eyelids still lidded, he glanced towards a corner of the room which suspiciously shadowed enough that he would notice.

"I know you're there," he remarked. "Come out there's no point in hiding anymore." In return, he got a whine as an orange haired figure materialized into existence. The small boy pouted as he stretched his arms above his head.

"Man, you actually noticed?" he whined. "I was sure you weren't going to." He huffed and even stomped around like a kid throwing a tantrum. Iwaizumi crossed his arms, his eyes still narrowed.

"Don't underestimate a Jack, boy," he replied. "What's your business here?" 'If you can use magic lie that,' was left unsaid. Warping in and out of existence wasn't something Aobajousai mages did. Heck, it wasn't something any person in Cards could do. Instead of answering his question, the orange haired kid grinned wickedly.

"I'm not obliged to answer that," he replied. He lifted both of his arms with both palms up. His head was tilted to the left and his shoulder lifted. "Though, you should already know our business, Jack of Clubs, Iwaizumi Hajime." At that moment, a sleek black pointed tail whipped out from behind him and waved around haphazardly. Iwaizumi froze and his eyes widened.

"Y-You're..." The ginger shook his head and sighed.

"You guys really do have to see the tail to believe it. Don't you know that Jokers can hide their tails if they want to?" he asked. He then shrugged. "Well, what do I know? It's been the first time you've seen an actual Joker in what, hundreds of years?" He looked at the window. "Come out Tobio! He's nice!"

"You're saying that now, when he sounded like he was going to tear your head off earlier," said the black haired boy Oikawa described, climbing into the room through the window. Behind him, his own tail flickered back and forth lazily. The orange haired boy wandered over to the window, acutely aware of Iwaizumi's piercing eyes.

"We're not here to hurt you or the King, Jack of Clubs," he smiled. He bounced on his toes several times. "We're not hostile."

"Then what are you here for?" Iwaizumi asked. While he was in no position to fight physically, his pretty damn good aim wasn't hindered. His fingers sparked green like electricity, but neither Joker seemed fazed.

"The Grand King," the black haired one muttered, shuffling awkwardly. "The reign of the Grand King is upon us..."

'Grand King?' Iwaizumi thought. The green sparks faded from his hands. The orange haired shorty slapped his partner's arm.

"Sorry about him," he said sheepishly. "He isn't that good around human presences." He put his hands on his hips as the black haired one frowned even deeper. "So, we're here to help Aobajousai get back on its feet! We'll be sticking around as long as Aobajousai lacks a true King." The orange haired shorty winked. "I'm Hinata Shouyou and he's Kageyama Tobio. We're now the Jokers of Clubs, if you don't mind."

* * *

“They did not!” Sugawara shrieked as he and the other Jokers watched from a mirror in the obsidian meeting room. The crow that was their source of feed shifted near the window to see Iwaizumi’s shocked expression.

“They did!” Nishinoya and Tanaka cackled wildly, nearly curling in on themselves from laughing too hard. Daichi rubbed his temples in exasperation as Tsukishima and Yamaguchi watched with mild amusement.

“I thought I raised you better, Shouyou…” Daichi grumbled. Tanaka and Nishinoya only laughed harder and nearly tripped over each other. Nishinoya actually fell over and rolled into a surprised Asahi, sending the giant Joker to the ground with a wail. Sugawara sighed in defeat and turned his attention back to the mirror. The Jack of Clubs was freaking out and Numbers 2 and 3 of the Court had come in heaving.

“Oh spirits, I hope they know what they’re doing…”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There'll be a chapter every weekend, either Sunday or Saturday. The only time one comes out on the weekdays is if I have it typed out early.
> 
> No new terms. Not this time.


End file.
